St Ursula Academy  Juniors, College Prep
Summer 2008 Reading

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Reading casually or reading an abridgement such as Cliff’s Notes or Spark Notes
will not prepare you for a test or class discussion.

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George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion

Summer reading for college preparatory British Literature centers on the multiple forms of prejudice within a culture, including, but not limited to, issues of ethnicity, socioeconomic class, and gender.  George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion centers on Professor Henry Higgins' project of "civilizing" a working-class British woman, Eliza Dolittle.  As you read the play, look for assumptions about what makes a person upper class or lower class and how we may make similar distinctions in American society.  Also think about what Shaw might be highlighting as some of the limitations of his own culture. 

***  YOU MAY NOT RELY SOLELY ON CLIFF'S NOTES, INTERNET SITES LIKE SPARK NOTES, MOVIES, OR OTHER STUDY AIDS IN ORDER TO SUCCEED IN UNDERSTANDING THESE WORKS.  THE SUMMER READING TEST WILL GO BEYOND THE BASIC CONCEPTS OUTLINED IN NOTES LIKE THESE AND FILM VERSIONS DO NOT PRESENT THE PLAY OR THE NOVEL ACCURATELY. ***